Planeta Poesía # 1

874 poetry readings in 540 cities of 107 countries throughout the world

Submitted by wpm2011 on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 10:06

“It was a wind stronger than our Memory”

874 poetry readings in 540 cities of 107 countries will be held this 24th of September, convoked by the organizations 100,000 Poets for Change and World Poetry Movement -WPM-, on a day marked by a spirit which desires that a new time will open for humankind.

The World Poetry Movement (WPM) was founded in Medellín (Colombia) on July 9, 2011, and in less than two months in existence it has achieved the incorporation and participation of 108 international poetry festivals, 88 poetry projects and 1.016 poets from 126 countries.

The global poetic action constitutes a call for both the world’s governments and media and the UNESCO to acknowledge the existence of a vast world poetry energy, which influences the strengthening of the cultural and spiritual processes in our world and helps build a new dimension of human existence on a dignified, beautiful, just and renewed Earth.

This is not just about assessing the great number of poetry readings, performances and poetry interventions, both urban and rural, that are being prepared throughout the world’s continents for this date, but, above all, about celebrating the deep symbolism embodied in this new world poetry action, where essential forces come together and which has an impact on the heart of the human history – a history that seems still to go against the grain of life itself.

An immediate precedent of this summons can be found in Palabra en el Mundo (Word in the World), which for four years has organized a similar event, and already in 2010 held 500 poetry events in 35 countries throughout the world. Both the Palabra en el Mundo organization, directed by poets Gabriel Impaglione, Alex Pausides and Tito Alvarado, and 100,000 Poets for Change, domiciled in California and coordinated by poets Michael Rothenberg and Terri Carrión, are a part of the World Poetry Movement (WPM).

In Africa, 55 poetry readings will be held in capitals and other cities in 18 countries. 100 poetry events will be held in 19 Asian countries. 210 poetry interventions are scheduled to take place in 38 European countries. Oceania will have just 12 poetry readings – in Australia and New Zealand. The American continent will hold the highest number of poetry readings on the 24th of September next, with 453 events confirmed in 27 countries. Many of these events will additionally host poetry workshops and concerts.

The process of preparing this world poetic action began in March, 2011, under the initiative of Michael Rothenberg and Terri Carrion, California, and will shortly spread the initiative to find a large audience especially in the United States, Western Europe and India.

In the last month World Poetry Movement (WPM), founded in last July, joined the action 274 poetry readings in 80 countries, opening new prospects for higher future unified action to defend life on Earth.